Technology Field
The disclosure relates to a memory management technique, and more particularly, to a data search method, a memory storage apparatus, and a memory control circuit unit.
Description of Related Art
Due to the rapid development of digital cameras, cellular phones, and MP3 players in recent years, consumer demand for storage media has rapidly increased as well. Since a rewritable non-volatile memory module (such as a flash memory) has characteristics such as data non-volatility, power-saving, small size, and no mechanical structures, the rewritable non-volatile memory module is very suitable to be built into the various portable multimedia apparatuses provided above.
In general, the memory controller of a memory storage apparatus manages the rewritable non-volatile memory module therein based on physical blocks, such as storing or reading data. Based on different manufacturing processes or management strategies, each of the physical blocks in the rewritable non-volatile memory module may contain a preset number of physical pages such as 64, 128, or 256. In general, management information relating to the preset number is stored in a read-only memory (ROM) of the memory controller. When the memory storage apparatus is booted, the management information is read from the ROM and used as a basis for operating the memory storage apparatus. In case that the management information is not stored in the ROM of the memory controller, the memory controller needs to find the desired management data from the rewritable non-volatile memory module when the memory storage apparatus is booted. However, if the efficiency of the used search mechanism is low, the boot time of the memory storage apparatus may be longer.
Nothing herein should be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art of any portion of the present invention. Furthermore, citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention, or that any reference forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art.